Dark Moon Rising

Chapter 38: The Reckoning Approaches

Eyrx's Point of View

I noticed Wesley and Aralia tensing up after hearing what the Moon Goddess had said, but I couldn't understand why they reacted that way. Although Lucius Void and his family sounded terrible, I couldn't fathom why that would provoke such a strong response to his ex-lover transferring to the Hunter Foundation.

"The child was kept secret from Lucius by his family and Layla. She tried to start over and even began a relationship with Achan Mardochaios. However, when Lucius learned about their involvement, Achan ended things in exchange for a rank promotion with the Hunter Foundation. Lucius believed that Layla had accepted a bribe to leave him and start over," the Moon Goddess said.

Jo and I exchanged surprised glances with one another. We knew of Achan Mardochaios and how he had been dealt with under the order of Luna Bethany. Ardolf had torn Achan's flesh and bones apart with brutal precision in the forest outside of the Dark Moon pack when Wesley and the spectral warriors had hunted the operative from the Hunter Foundation.

"Layla Agrona did share a child with Lucius Void. He discovered this recently when going through the private employee database of the Hunter Foundation in recent weeks. Lucius is determined to find his son," Selene continued.

"Should we assist Layla in keeping this child hidden?" I asked the Moon Goddess, and a profound sadness filled her eyes.

"The child needs to be protected from his father, but you won't be able to assist the mother," Selene responded.

"Why not?" I inquired.

"She's dead, Eyrx. Layla was tasked with scouting the vicinity of the Dark Moon pack. Because of childcare obligations, she assumed a new role within the group. Layla used to bring her son on these missions, posing as a young mother hiking with her toddler to collect information covertly. Regrettably, something went amiss, and neither she nor her son returned home," the Moon Goddess explained.

"Layla was exploring the forest. What happened to her and the child?" Jo asked.

"I found her, well, what was left of her," my mother said quietly.

"What about the child?" Jo asked, astonished.

"It was clear that the child had undergone some form of trauma from the marks he bore. I tended to his wounds, and when it became clear that he had been abandoned in the woods, I cared for him as my own," my mother responded.

"Am I understanding you correctly? Are you telling me that I am the son of Lucius Void?" I exclaimed, horrified.

"You look just like him, Eyrx," Selene replied.

"What happened to my mother?" I bellowed at the Moon Goddess.

"Layla chose to support the Collective and the Hunter Foundation, even though she was aware of her werewolf lineage. Most operatives are unaware they are werewolves, as their wolf side is suppressed. However, Layla knowingly participated in raids and collecting children for the scientists to experiment with. Your mother believed that by proving her loyalty to the Collective, she could gain acceptance for herself and you and be welcomed into the Void family. She was motivated by greed and a misguided sense of love and duty," Selene explained.

"There was a creature in the forest that looked like your transformed state. I believe that this creature killed and devoured your mother. Arali was honest when she said that only pieces of your mother remained when you were found. It was clear that you had been attacked, but no one knows for sure what happened and how you survived," the Moon Goddess explained.

My mother added, "More supernatural creatures exist within the forest and surrounding areas of the Dark Moon pack. None of us, including myself, have ever been able to recall what occurred, and we all have the same memory of how we found you. The creature that once lurked in the forest in search of its prey was never seen again after I found you."

I had always wanted to know who I was and where I came from. I had never imagined this, though.

It suddenly occurred to me why Selene and Aralia hesitated to allow me to interact directly with Seraphina. Although I was tasked with keeping an eye on her, they understood that I wouldn't want her to see me - that is, I didn't until I developed feelings for her. She was the adopted daughter of a father I had never known and I resembled him. Whenever Seraphina and Argus looked at me, they would see Lucius Void.

"Argus knows that Lucius's son is here. He could not determine if it was you or Felix because you have similar features. But, once Argus sees you, he will know. Seraphina doesn't know that Lucius has a child. We have not told her. Yet," Selene explained.

I began to spiral until I felt a small hand place itself within my own.

"This doesn't mean Seraphina won't accept you as her friend or more. But it does explain why keeping the two of you apart was necessary," Jo assured me.

I understood their rationale better now, but it still infuriated me. It wasn't fair. I didn't choose who my birth father was, or what I looked like. I had never known the man, and I could only hope that I was nothing like him.

"This is why Lucius is so motivated to send a team of his best operatives, including his beloved adopted son. It is not just to try and capture Luna Jo but also to retrieve his biological son. Another team will be sent when this mission fails, possibly with Lucius himself joining them. He is set on being reunited with his son," Selene explained.

"Although Lucius Void holds the title of CEO of the Collective, he is not in control. He mistakenly believes that the board members do not possess the power they do. Lucius is living on borrowed time. When his downfall comes, and it will, if the board members of the Collective do not eliminate him, then Seraphina will. She suffered countless horrors because of him, and in a way, Argus feels that he sacrificed his soul to save his sister. Many complex factors are at play here that you may not realize."

If Seraphina didn't kill my sperm donor, then I would. Just thinking of all the harm that had come to her enraged me. He would pay. I would make sure of it. Even if when it happened, it was like looking in a mirror for me. I could only hope that the evil within Lucius Void was not within me.